Tea Magazine

In addition to my Tea Tumbler mug, my husband also gave me a subscription to Tea A Magazine, which bills itself as a "A consumer quarterly magazine all about tea, both as a beverage and for its cultural significance in art, music, literature, history, and society. "

While I was thrilled to find a magazine devoted entirely to tea, Tea A Magazine isn't perfection and their website http://www.teamag.com looks like it was created by someone's teenage son in 1996 and hasn't been touched since (It might be time to look into a host with some free templates). The magazine is a quick read and the Winter 2006 issue has some interesting articles about tea growing in England, Walkers Shortbread, and an English tea room in Cornwall. I also like that the magazine generally includes pieces on tea implements and the use of tea motifs in art. The Winter issue profiles Charlotte di Vita and the collectible tea pots that she has made and has a brief article on tea caddies. My hope, however, is that they can sell more subscriptions to allow them the funds to update their website and publish a more professional magazine with more in-depth articles. The magazine could be so much more than it is now and I hope I'll see it get there.

Tea, the next big fad

The following snippet was published recently in the New York Times. I'll have to quote it in its entirety because my husband (also known as my clipping service) ripped it out and handed it to me and I have neither a page nor a date for reference.

"TEA FOR YOU. Mints on the pillow are now expected. You can find blow dryers and irons in even moderately priced rooms, and high-speed Internet access is widely available.

So what is there to look forward to during your next hotel stay?

'Capitalizing on the health trend, expect tea - which is loaded with healthful antioxidants - to be the next big fad,' Hotels magazine writes.

'Plus with travel becoming more global, it is important for Western restaurants to offer a more sophisticated tea option to accommodate Asian travelers,' the magazine adds.

Chefs predict more hotel restaurants will offer an afternoon tea service and a wider variety of teas on their menus. 'It seemed as though every time I turned on the TV or opened a magazine I heard about the wonderful flavors and benefits of tea. I couldn't ignore it any more,' says Bill Brodsky, executive chef at the Wequassett Inn Resort and Golf Club on Cape Cod, who plans to feature such things as warm goat cheese terrine with white tea gastrique and black truffle risotto scented with Pu-erh tea,"

My thoughts: It's about damn time! And, to Hotels mag, your "Western" visitors might like more sophisticated tea options too. It's not just Asians who drink tea.